Is it me or are CC distributors around the World bracing themselves for what's coming?

[bredy387]

On 3/12/2026 at 6:12 AM, Li Bai said:

As I've shared in another thread, CC supplies have been surprisingly good in the last weeks in France, it seems to also be the case in Switzerland and Andorra as far as I can see.

So here's my question for you @El Presidente and for any of you who might know anything on the matter, are all distributors around the World trying to sell their stock in order to make room for a last big refill before everything falls apart in Cuba?

Feels a bit dramatic to be honest, distributors aren’t panic dumping stock every time rumors pop up. What you’re seeing is probably just normal cycle stuff, shipments land, shelves fill, then everyone starts overthinking it lol. If anything, when supply actually gets shaky you don’t see “surprisingly good availability”, you see empty shelves and crazy prices overnight. I’d just grab what you enjoy now and not chase some end of the world theory.

[Li Bai]

Well, I haven't been called dramatic in a while but am I, really? Maybe I am, or maybe you lack a bit of context...

France has been a wonderful place for CC lovers for decades and then came COVID. Like everywhere else in the World supplies plummeted but they never came back even close to where they were, for decades. Why? Even insiders don't have an answer.

Currently the situation in Cuba is dramatic and even if it's not what really matters most right now, cigar production is affected. Most factories are closed, workers can't come to work and many cigars that are currently being rolled are rolled by prisoners who have little to no training so 2026 production could be really bad.

Nevertheless, while all this is happening, CC supplies have been the largest I've seen here since COVID for the past month (supplies don't affect pricing in France as prices are fixed by law) so, as a pragmatic guy I can say something is happening for sure and I'd like to know what in order to make good decisions because there's a good chance we won't see ANY CCs for months or even more in the times to come, and even if we do, the quality could very well be poor.

It's not the end of the World you're right, but when it comes to CCs, the World as we know it might never be the same again so I don't think I'm being overdramatic trying to figure out where I'm at. I suspect this is not business as usual like you suggest.

[ElLoboLoco]

It will take a few years, but believe you me, there will be investors scaling up production for the fertile soil.

[HP2]

On 3/17/2026 at 9:13 AM, zacca said:

You need to provide a Financing option, maybe an installment plan where you can pay off the balance in 12 months, lol! 

[VasileDulap]

A little bit late to the topic but shops in Romania seem to have more in stock than usual. Also I’m starting to see cigars that usually don’t get sold here like the Saint Luis Rey Regios.

[JohnnyO]

Option 1 is your likely outcome. When you have communists in charge 2/3/4 will never happen.